Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have become a cornerstone of the gaming industry. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Thus, gaming manufacturers continuously endeavor to develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play and player loyalty through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “primary” or “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome during play of the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio.
Another concept that has been employed is the use of progressive jackpots. In the gaming industry, a “progressive jackpot” involves collecting coin-in data from participating gaming device(s), such as slot machines, contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to a jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a player upon the occurrence of a jackpot-winning event. A jackpot-winning event typically occurs when a “progressive winning position” is achieved at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example, correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along an active payline. The initial progressive jackpot is a predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming machines are linked together such that several players at several gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate.
There are three main types of wagering game machines: mechanical, electromechanical, and electronic. The original slot machine, for example, was entirely mechanical in construction, working on an elaborate configuration of springs, gears, shafts, brakes and levers. Since its introduction in the early 1960's, the electromechanical gaming machine began replacing most, if not all, mechanical slot machines. Electromechanical gaming machines typically use one or more microprocessors to determine a random outcome, and electrical stepper motors to spin and stop a set of mechanical reels to display the game outcome. The electronic gaming machine (EGM), in comparison, subsequently supplanted the mechanical reels of the electromechanical gaming machine with simulated mechanical reels generated by a video display device. In addition to slot-type wagering games, traditional table games, such as poker, blackjack, keno, and bingo, were adapted for use on EGM's.
The advent of microprocessors has significantly advanced the state of the art of electronic gaming. For instance, microprocessors offer gaming machines much greater latitude in determining random game outcomes. Random game outcomes are typically determined by a random number generator (RNG) that is driven by a central processing unit (CPU). A probability table contains all possible game outcomes, with each game outcome being linked to a distinct number. Once generated, the random number is used to look up the corresponding game outcome in the probability table. In electro-mechanical configurations, the CPU then signals the stepper motors to drive and position the reels to coincide with the randomly determined game outcome. Microprocessor-driven EGM's allow gaming manufacturers to design slot games with more flexible pay tables. In a specific example, microprocessor-driven gaming machines can offer high value, low probability awards while contemporaneously offering low value, high probability awards—offering a range of awards that an all-mechanical slot machine cannot.
The increased power of modern microprocessors has enabled the introduction of new gaming machine capabilities that allow the addition of entirely new classes of features and functions. Many EGM designs allow these features and functions to be enabled in a variety of different combinations to operate on a wide variety of different technological platforms. Enabling these features oftentimes requires they be configured to casino specifications, without departing from state gaming regulations, when the EGM's are first set up on the casino floor. These configuration parameters can enable the gaming machine to network with the casino's existing central computer systems, for example, to coordinate with the casino's cashless gaming systems, wagering processes, accounting procedures, player-tracking data collection, etc.
Networking a gaming machine to a gaming establishment's central computer system typically requires the machine be configured to establish communication, including selection of communication protocols for communication between the gaming machine and host system. This may include selection of the host ports for electronic funds transfers, establishing gaming machine communication addresses, host communication protocol bonus control, etc. As part of the initial set up process, a number of configuration parameters may also be set to customize the gaming machine, for example, to comport with the wagering processes used by a particular gaming establishment. These specifications can include the selection of payout devices (e.g., hopper, ticket printer, cashless player account, etc.), selection of payout options (e.g., split pays from both the hopper and ticket printer), and controlling ticket printer parameters. The gaming machine may also be configured to customize the presentation of the game. These configuration parameters can include, in some non-limiting examples: screen brightness, lighting control, speaker volume, presentation of multiple games, payback percentages, etc. Some additional miscellaneous configuration categories include: ticket-in control configuration, validation control, and gaming machine operating modes (including demonstration and diagnostic mode). Within each of these categories can be a number of different selections, and even sub-selections.
The number and complexity of configuration parameters can require considerable technician time during the initial setup process. Historically, the configuration process required selecting and implementing operating parameters for each gaming machine, with the gaming machine being manually configured through a set of administrative menus. Some parameters require multiple menus and value entries to be completely configured. For some electronic gaming machines, the technician is provided with instructions and options displayed on a video display for each configuration parameter, and the technician selects configuration parameters using a mouse, button panel or keyboard. This can be a time-consuming, tedious, and, in some instances, error-prone process. What is needed are new methods and devices for configuring wagering game machines to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the configuration process.